Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

esponded to in due time and soon thereafter, our town
was given the same name."
This writer wonders why Edmund Booth could not
recall the Indian maiden's mother's name. if her name
was also, "Anamosa". The article. by Mr. Booth, which
followed the letter adds no further clarification to this
ambiguity. He wrote: "We do not question Dr. Sales.
but will add something more. At the the first meeting of
the Board of Commissioners, immediately after
Lexington became the county seat. we. with Pratt
Skinner, C.C. Rockwell and others, presented a paper to
the board requesting changing the name, because
Lexington had been worn threadbare, and because of
the confusion. The board decided it was not their
decision to make. At the next meeting of the district
court the change was granted."
In light of the above. it may perhaps be assumed that
our city was named for an Indian princess, but if not,
most of the citizens of the town believe the name to be
unique.
In 1860, Editor Booth, profoundly disturbed by all of
the folks mispronuncing the town's name. gave vent in
an editorial in the Eureka, with the probable hope that
this would end the practice. It didn't. It continues to
this day; with persistent regularity it is called, Anamah-sa.
Booth wrote, “Some persons pronounce the
name of our town An-a-mos-a. The Indians from whom
the name was obtained spoke it An-a-mo-sa, and as
such it is at once a pretty and musical name. Let us
retain the original pronunciation. We have corrupted a
sufficient number of Aboriginal derivation, An-a-mo-sa
is so easily spoken that no reason, save ignorance of its
true pronunciation, or bad taste, can excuse its
perversion into insipid Engiish."
He attempted again, in 1867, to educate those who
would not say the name as intended. “By way of
introduction, we will state that Anamosa incorrectly
pronounced by many, Ana-a-moss-a . .
With noble purpose. he informed the railway
personnel when a new locomotive was to be put on the
Dubuque Southwestern in the summer of 1870, . .
and just here let us enter a protest against the almost
universal custom of murdering the name Anamosa. It is
not pronounced. ‘Anamossa'. as if the word were
spelled with two. instead of one "s" and with the "o“
short — as in “not". Anamosa — mo, as in "most," is
easier and far more euphonious. Let railroad conductors,
and other employees, and especially our own
citizens, remember there is no such town in existence
as Ana-moss-a."
If a stranger came into Anamosa, at anytime prior to
1904, and made an inquiry as to the whereabouts of the
post office, he could have well been given the response.
"What month is it‘?", for the post office had operated
out of at least 27 different locations. The moving of the
postal site uptown and downtown met with a great deal
of ire on the part of the losing locality.
For the first seven years the post office was located
"downtown", and moved hither and yon with each
postmaster appointment, beginning with C.C. Rockwell
in 1847.
The first move “uptown" was in 1856, when Richard
G. Hunt was postmaster. The post office was located in
Scott Br Hunt's tinshop on the corner of Main street and
North Ford, where the Conmey building is now. The
Frink 8r Walker four-horse coaches running between
Dubuque and Iowa City met in Anamosa, daily.
When H. "Alex" Shaffer was appointed postmaster in
the fall of 1856. the post office was again moved
"downtown", opposite the Waverly Hotel. (This hotel
was located south of the brick house still standing on
South Main Street.) On March 5. 1858, Jonathan H.
Show (o as in plow). was appointed to this position and
the post office was taken back to the western end of
town into the Carey and Show store. At this turn of
events the local editor wrote, “Our post office is a
curious office. Since it left the hands of S.A.
Cunningham about 15 months ago, it has moved no
less than eight times. It has twice been up town, a half
mile, and in a few weeks came down again. There has
been serious talk of building it a car, or wheel borrow,
or pair of crutches. Its constitution is sound, but
unluckily, it has a lame head. We hope the poor thing
will have a few days rest now."
It may have done so, but Mr. Show was arrested in
Dubuque in November of 1858, for carrying registered
letters around in his pockets for up to a month. and
wouldn't give them to the recipients. It must be said
that Postmaster Show had other troubles too, as he had
placed a notice in the papers that there were 1 15 letters
remaining in the post office. because they were not
prepaid. He stated that if they are not taken out within a
month, they would be sent to the dead letter ofilce. He
was replaced by Amos Peaslee in December of that
year, whereby Mr. Peaslee, who was also the city
Mayor. took the post office back up town to the basement
of the Fisher House (now the Iowan Hotel).
Not seeing the light of day, Mr. Peaslee in January
1859, moved the post office into the new building
adjoining the Fisher House. He placed new boxes and
lock boxes in this place, probably thinking that this
action would cause a perrnanancy to the thing. Not only
did the Eureka editor, Charley Crockwell. lose his
proximity to the post office — it had been for a time
beneath his office, before it went uptown — the mails
were delayed and he failed to get his invitation to the
“Printer's Festival", held in Dubuque, in time to attend
He lamented about his lack of timely mail and also
reminded the public about the movement of the post
offices within the town, “Our post office — it has
toddled once more. The poor thing ever since Franklin
Pierce has been president and Jimmy Campbell, Post
Master General, our post office has been like a stray
dog. It has not had a permanent home once in a period
of four years . . . we hope to see the day when the
postmaster will be elected by the people."
When it moved back up town, he remarked, “the post
office has been removed to the Wapsi House, where we
presume it will remain a week or two.
In September I860, Editor Booth wrote, ‘A letter
mailed at the Anamosa post office for Freedom's Grave
— perhaps intended for Freedom's Grove, Kansas —
was sent back for better directions. On the envelope
were post master's or clerk's inscriptions. ‘Where the
h... is it?', ‘I'll be ifl know‘ and ‘Keep her going‘.
Will the writer please apply at the post office and direct
his letter more properly, and give the name of the
county. for there is no Freedom's Grave in Kansas."
Horace Metcalf received his commission as
postmaster and entered the discharge of his duties
March 29, 1861. Naturally, the post office was moved
into the Metcalf and Hollenbeck store; next door to the
old site. The patrons didn't hold their breaths. After all,
it had been moved eight times in seven years. However,
the Civil War was starting, and this may have lent some
stability to the post office positions. (Mr. Metcalf
attempted to resign his position once but the
resignation was refused). He served for five years. The